Separable fastener



May 23,, 1=933 J. B. FREYSING-E 1,910,892

I SEPARABLE FASTENER Filed March 19, 1952 m 23 5/ z; y 50 Jo/z 72 B.Freya in er "TRUNT'ITEDVISTATTES PATENT oFFicr:

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a =FigJ 1Iis a vice constructed in accordance with the pres- PatentedMay 23, 1933 BQrniiYsiNeER, or ivnw BRITAIN, ooimno'rion'r, ASSIGNOR TOvonrii & sunny MANU A TURING COMPANY, on NEW Bartram, CONNECTICUT, ACORPORATION or a OQNNEOTICUT 1 SEPARAB E Ens-minivan Application fil edMarch 19, 1932. Serial No. 599,871. i

: Thepresent invention relates to separable fasteners, and hasfforan obect the provision of an improved device of this kind whichmay beconveniently used 1n connecting two membersorpa ts or the same mempanamaa a a Thepresent inventionmay be used in connection with belts, wearingapparel, baggage, such as brief bags, et cetera.

further object of the present invention is "to provide a simple, strong,durable and inexpensive fastening device which may be quickly and easilyoperated.

I I ,QTOth er objects will be in part obvious, and

impart pointed out more in detail hereinafter. y 1

I The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, acombination of elements and arrangement 0f; parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope ofthe application ofwhich will be indicated in the appendedaclaims l a av, :1 Intheaccompanying drawing, wherein is shown, for, illustrativepurposes, one of the embodiments 1 which-the present invention frontview of a fastening deing relatiomas at 12, for a short distance in adirection substantially at rightangles to the base 10, and the free endsof the side portions are bent to provide the oppositely extendingflanges 13 and 14 whichlie in a plane substantially parallel tothe planeof thebaseltl. The outer edge of the flange 14 is provided with a seriesof teeth 15 each of vhich has a squared end or abutment and an inclinedside edge. \Vhile the bar member is here shown as being straight, itobviously may be longitudinally curved. The forward ends oftheflangesare bevelled or rounded, as at 9, so as to facilitate assembly of thetwomembers. At the other end of the bar memher A, and preferably formedintegrally therewith, is a transversely extending loop 16 whichaiford'smeans for securing the bar member to the element X which may be one endof a strap or belt, et cetera. The end of the element X may b threadedthrough the loop 16, folded back upon itself, and then securedby therivet 17. The loop 16 is'provided with a pair of upstanding ears 18having roughened outer surfaces 19 adapted to be engaged by the thumband forefinger of theuser of the device. The connection between the barA and the loop 16 is outwardly bent as at 20- so that the loop isdisposed in W 0 vent invention; r v c 1 v a a Fig. 2 is a view taken onthe line 22 of i Fig; liandlookingin the direction of the ar- ;rows';-ww. a y a n Fig. 3--is an end view of the catch member;

Fig. 4} is view on the line 4-4: of Fig. 3

substantiallythe same plane as the flanges 13 and14,whereby theend ofthe element X will be disposed outwardlyof the other end of the elementwhen the device is in locked position.

The catch and-looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5' is a side elevation of a fastening de- Vice constructedaccordingto the present in- 'Referringinore particularly to the drawing,A designates, generally, a bar member, and B designates generally acatch member 1 ofthefasteningdevic'e. The bar member may 53345befor'medfrom a piece or strip of sheetmetal and has a base 10 which isformed by bending the stripof metal over upon itself from its oppositeouter edges to provide the folds 111 The portionsadjacent the sides ofthe strip of metal are then extended in contactmember B of the fasteningdevice includes a frame member generallydesignated 21 and having a rearor base wall 22 provided at its ends with apertured ears 23 by means ofwhich=it may be secured to the other element Y which may be the end of abelt or the body of a brief bag, e'tcetera. The base 22 has, extendingforwardlyfrom each of its side edges, a wall 24 and from the forwardside edges of each of thewalls 24, extend the inwardly directed flanges25 which-partially overhang and are substantially parallelto the base22.

Extending forwardly from the inner side edge of each flange 24 is a wall26 substantially perpendicular to the base 22 but spaced inwardly fromthe side edges thereof. These Walls 26 support an outer or front Wall 27substantially parallel to, but of less width than, the base 22.

Pivoted to the front wall 27, as by the pivot pin 28, is a catchgenerally designated 29. The catch 29 comprises a plate v3O pivoted toand overlying the wall 27 of the frame member 21. The sides of the plate30 taper towards its right-hand end, that is, the end adjacent the pivot28, and are provided with rearwardly extending flanges 31 and 32. Theflange 31 is provided with a heel '33 which overhangs the right-hand endof the adjacent wall 26 of the frame member 21 and is adapted to abutagainst the flange 13 of the bar member .to limit the. movement of thecatch in one direction.

The iflange 32 is provided at the left-hand .end thereof with a detent3i which cooperates with the series of .teeth 15 on the bar member A. Thedetent 34 is normally urged into its teeth engaging position by means ofa V- shaped spring 35 confined between the flange v3'1 of the catch 29and the adjacent wall 26 of the frame member 21. The spring 35 is re-:strained from longitudinalmovement by an overhanging lip 36 on theflange 31, which lip engages :the free end of one of the legs of thespring. The taper of .the flange 31 towards the wall 26 of the framemember 21 prevents the escapeof the spring in the other direction. Themovement of the catch, due .to the influence of the spring, is limitedby the engagement of the flange 32 of the catch against the adjacentwall 26 of the guide member, .while movement of the catch in theopposite direction is further restricted by theiopposite wall 26 of theframe member 21.

then it- .is desired to assemble the catch member and the bar member ofthe fastener, it is merely necessary for the user to grip the ears 1-8:of the bar member A between his .thumband finger and thread the barmember through the catch member. The detent 34 will [ratchet over theteeth 15 until thedesired position is reached, when the detent 34: will.engage behind the adjacent :tooth 15 and lock the parts together. Toseparate the parts of the fastener, the user presses his thumb or fingeragainst the flange 31 of the catch 29 and swings the catch on its pivot28 against the tension of the spring 35 to disengage the detent 34 fromthe teeth 15. The bar member may then be removed from the catch member.

As many changes could be made in the .above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted .as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features ofthe invention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall.therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a separable fastener, a bar member having a track portion providedwitha series of teeth 011 one of its outer edges, a catch membercomprising a frame embracing said track portion and adapted to slidelongitudinally relative thereto, and a catch pivoted to the frame insuch a manner as to have swinging movement in a plane parallel to saidtrack portion, said catch .havingat its free end and beyond the endofsa-id frame a detent cooperating with the teeth of said track portion.

2. In a separable fastener, a bar member having a track portion providedwith a series of teeth on one of its side edges, a catch membercomprising a frame embracing said track portion and adapted to slidelongitudinally thereof, a catch located externally of said frame andpivoted to the front Wall thereof in such a manner as to have swingingmovement in a plane parallel to said front wall and in a plane parallelwith the track portion, said catch having a detent at one end locatedbeyond said frame and adapted to'cooperate with said teeth, and a springinterposed between said frame and catch and normally urging the latterin a direction to engage-its detent with said teeth.

3. In a separable fastener, a bar member having a track :portionprovided with a series of teeth on one of its side edges, a catch memberhaving a frame embracing'said-trac'k portion and having a front wall anda pair of side walls straddling said track portion, a-eatchoverlyingsaid front wall and pivoted thereto and having side flangesstraddling said frame, one of said flanges havingat one end an inturneddetent adapted to cooperate with said teeth, and a spring between saidframe :and the otherof said flanges.

4. In a separable fastener, a bar :member having a base, a pair offlanges spaced 'from and substantially parallel to the :base, one of theflanges having a series .of iteethon its outer :edge, a frame encircling.saidfbar anember and having a base portion receiving the base of thebar member and an outer portion of reduced width receiving said flanges,a

catch pivoted to the front wall of said frame .and .having flanges atits opposite sides, said flanges straddling the reduced ,portion of theframe,.one of said flanges having a detent .at one end adapted tocooperate withsaid-ser-ies of teeth, and a spring interposed between theother of said flanges and the adjacent side of said reduced portion ofthe frame.

5. In a. separable fastener, a bar member having a base and a pair offlanges spaced from andsubstantially parallel to said base,

one of said flanges having a series of teeth on its outer edge, a catchmember comprising a frame having abase portion receiving the base ofsaidbar member in its longitudinal movement and having an outer portionreceiving said flanges, and a catch pivoted to said frame andcooperating with said teeth.

6. In a separable fastener, a bar member having a base and a pair offlanges spaced from and substantially arallel to said base, one ofsaidflanges havlng a series of teeth on its outer edge, a catch memberincluding a frame having a base, a pair of spaced substantially parallelwalls extending fromthe base of said frame, and a air of inturnedflanges carried by said wa ls and substantially parallel to the base ofthe frame, said frame also having a pair of spaced and substantiallyparallel walls carried by the flanges of said frame and a top wallsupported by said last mentioned walls, and a spring pressed catchpivoted to said top wall and cooperating with saidteeth.

7. In a separable fastener, a bar member having a track portion providedwith a series of teeth on one of its outer edges, a catch membercomprising a frame embracing said track portion anda-dapted to slidelongitudinally relative thereto, and a catch pivoted to the frame andhaving at its free end and beyond the end of said frame a detentcooperating with the teeth of said track ortion.

JOHN B. FREY INGER.

